The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-21
THE NEGRO ON THE NEGRO.
THEIR MATERIAL CONDITION
AND THEIR LEGAL STATUS.
Replies 10 Questions Put 10 Teach
eTs, Preachers, Lawy ers, Edt-
GOrs and Merchants.

New York Ecening Post The most
interesting and va iuaole investigation
as to the condition and prospects of
the colofed race which has yet been
made is one that has been prosecuted
by writer for thu Independent Seq
ing that, while there we're countless
opinions by white men as to the status
OF the blacks, nobody had tried to find
out what the blacks themselves
thought about it, he resolved to sup.
ply this lack. Accordingly he secured
the addresses of 20) representative in
telligent colored men and women in
all the Southern States, and
sent each of them circu-
lar framed "to ascertain the prevail
ing opin on and feelings Of the colored
men themselves about the relation Of
the races and the outlook of the col
ored race" by asking questions ar
ranged under half dozen different
heads, like material prosperity" and
"civil rights" Responses were re-
ceived from teachers male and fe-
male), preachers, lawyers, editors and
merchants in Virginia, North Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississip.
pi, Louisiana, Tennessee and Arkansas.
Articles embodying the replies upon
the two vital p )ints of the material
condition OF the negroes and their le-
gal status have already been published,
and the showing which they make is
highly encouraging. Under the first
head were included these questions
care the colored people fast accumu.
lating proper y? What proportion OF
the families of your acquaintance own
their homes?" The ausS ers show
that there is great difference in
thisrespectin different States, and even
in different parts of the same State
but the racs as whole is making
steady and often wonderful progress
Sew accumulate at ALL" says one
Mississippi correspondent, and
throughout tbs country not more
than one in a hundred own houses,
says a man who lives in E stern North
Carolina. Against these are to be
set such staten snts as the following
About three-ffths Of the families KIN ov
own their homes. Virginia.
Between 20 and rs per GENT. of the coleret
families in southeast Virginia own theil
homes. =, Virginia.
About 40 per cent. of my acauaintan eel
oeyn their little Observation-Disclosures County
half the families know own their homes
Atlanta, Ga.
Thee fourths of tbs families know owl
houses. Fd.,
Sixty per cent; of those know own homes
and hal thaga other DrODeT DesiuoS.-AU
many as 90 per cent, of the families
know own their little homes Montgomery
Ala.
Three-ffths OF my acquaintance are prop
erty owners.-GreenUitte Mss.
At least two-thirds of the best psople o
the race here own their homes, and sOm
own other property. Meridian, Mss.
A good beginning has been made. A goot
humber is increasing Loaisiana.
About one third of my acquaintance ar
property holders The colorei people owl
much properly in the towns; As yet fey
| own farms OF any C considerable size; but
! new spirt seems to have come over the IN Il
| the last few years, and they are l1okin
| toward the ownership OF larger farms.-Ar
| kansas.
The second paper gives the reptile
to these two fundamental questions a
to the legal treatment OF the negro
"Are there any laws in your Stat
more oppressive 10 one race than T.
the other? Is the law administers,
| differently to the two Iaces?" No
body will be surprised 10 learn that
majority OF the correspondents com
plain that, while in the letter OF tn
law there is no difference, in ite appli
cation there is often discriminat o.
against the blacks. The surprisin
and encouraging thing is that severa
OF the writers in different States hav
no complaint whatever to make, a
these Ieplies to the two questions jH'
quoted show:
No.-North Carolina.
None, am glad to say.-Norh Cdro9'R
The laws in our State, in my opinion
bear on all alike Virginia.
There are no laws in this state that AZ
more oppressive to one race than the othe
In the administration Of the laws bot
races under the same circumstances al
treated alike.-Foridd (Ld,over,.
Think, in many instances, the laws az
differently ad administered; but am incline
TO think il is due more to the circumstan'
Of the poverty and in 'bility ,of the color'
people 10 defend themselves than to ra,
prejudice. -Mississippi (LaIcver.)
We certainly boast of the impartiality
the laws-both State and .parochial III
principal officers in this parish are colore
This parish sends colOred Representatives.
the State Legislature. TerreboHne Paris
LoEtsidRd.
While the remaining articles of Il
INDEPENDENTS series will undoubted
throw much further light upon Il
question, the two which are he
SUMMARY I'd cover the critical points.
whether the negroes are learning IL
value OF property, which is ths fr
essential to any permanent improv
ment, aud whether they are comiI
to enjoy the equal protection
the laws. No room for doubs
left regarding either of these point
In many regions they have as yet q
cumulated scarcely anything, an
there is much just complaint Of Il
credit system and the fashion OF pa
ment for work in supplies" but the
are enough cases where they are b
coming property holders to show thi
the drift is in the right direction.
like manner, as to their leg
status, while in many and prooab
most localities they are at disadvan
age by reason Of the inherited prejudi'
OF the whites, the fact that inteIligeI
witnesses in different States report 6
} entire freedom from such abuses
their own regions shows with ECU
clearness that the drift here also is
the right direction. And the be
feature OF it is that the drift in eaI
instance is irresistible. Ia shol
"the negro problem" Is solving itse
Hog stealing ON n Grand Scale
CHICAGO, ILL, January 20.-A ca
of hog stealing on a grand scale, sa